Participant interaction with entertainment in real and virtual environments

• US 7,396,281 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mendelsohn, Seth, Voris, Jeff, Haro, Edmond J., Dobson, Terry M., Guenther, Jason, Yanover, Paul, Kummer, Edward, Holzberg, Roger S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US11/165,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 725/23, 725/60, 705/14
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals

Abstract

A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and live theme park interaction and activity earns rewards. The interaction permits for rewards earned in the electronic theme park experience to be redeemed in the live theme park experience and vice versa. The electronic theme park and live activity are interactive in real or delayed time through an Internet connection. Activities on one or both of the live and electronic formats are designed to drive increased player visiting of the live and/or electronic versions. The Virtual Magic Kingdom is a virtual version of Disney'"'"'s theme parks, specifically the “Magic Kingdom” portion of the theme parks.

Claims

1. A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park experience comprising:

an interaction permitting for rewards earned in the live theme park experience, wherein the rewards are to be redeemed in the electronic theme park experience;

a network accessible to couple the electronic theme park and live theme park in real or delayed time through the network; and

activities and/or rewards on the electronic theme park being designed to drive increased player visiting of the live theme park, wherein activities and/or rewards are selected based on the redeemed rewards earned in the live theme park experience and wherein the electronic theme park experience is altered by the activities and rewards.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic theme park experience is implemented by an interactive game, the interactive game operable on a computer and viewable on a display in the live theme park experience and in the electronic theme park experience and wherein the activities and/or rewards alter operation of the interactive game.

3. The system of claim 1, including in the electronic theme park experience a display of rewards obtainable at the live theme park experience.

4. The system of claim 2, including an awards display window in the interactive game configured to display a plurality of the activities and awards for which a player may redeem the rewards earned in the live theme park experience.

5. The system of claim 1 configured to increase the rewards in response to an aspect of a player'"'"'s activity in at least one of the theme park formats.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein there is provided a chat room for players to communicate with other players on-line with the electronic theme park.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein a player in the interactive game selectively adopts a unique identity, wherein ones of the unique identities generated in the live theme park experience comprise avatars with at least one characteristic available via the live theme park experience.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic theme park environment permits individual players to design and modify selected areas in the electronic theme park adopted by them.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein players of the interactive game in the electronic theme park experience have the ability to invite other players playing selectively in at least one of the live theme park experience or in the electronic theme park experience to enter a selected area of the interactive game associated with the players.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic theme park environment includes a navigator, the navigator permitting players electronically to move between selected areas in the electronic theme park, the selected areas being selectively at least one of a private area of a player or a public area defined in the electronic theme park.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the network includes an internet network.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the rewards earned in the live theme park experience comprise a code and wherein the code is used by the electronic theme park experience to select a particular one of the activities and rewards.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the code is presented to a person that performs an activity in the live theme park experience.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a special ability provided to the avatars in the interactive game.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the interaction further comprises permitting for rewards earned during play of the interactive game in the electronic theme park experience to be redeemed in the live theme park experience for one or more benefits displayed in the interactive game in the electronic theme park experience.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the activities and rewards selected based on the redeemed rewards earned in the live theme park experience comprise a charm provided to players of the interactive game in the live theme park experience.

19. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of character functionality and game level access is granted selectively to players who access the interactive game in the live theme park experience.

12. A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park experience comprising:

a remote terminal;

a central controller in communication with the remote terminal, wherein the communication is through a network connection;

a system configured to retrieve and display rewards of a player accessing the remote terminal; and

a rewards database accessible by the central controller and from which the rewards of the player are retrieved, wherein the rewards comprise at least one reward available through participation in the live theme park experience.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising running an interactive game on the remote terminal in the electronic theme park experience, wherein the interactive game is at least partially configured based on the at least one reward retrieved from the rewards database.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the interactive game is configured to provide the player with access to a level that is inaccessible without the at least one reward.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the interactive game comprises an avatar associated with the player, the avatar being configured at least in part based on the at least one reward obtained through participation in the live theme park experience.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the remote terminal is operable to receive a code from the player and to modify operation of the interactive game based on the code, the code being provided to the player based on participation in an activity in the live theme park experience.

13. A method of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park experience comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to a person;

awarding rewards to the uniquely identified person for predetermined activities involving transactions at the live theme park experience, wherein the rewards are unavailable to another person only accessing the electronic theme park experience; and

permitting redemption of the rewards to the uniquely identified person for predetermined activities and/or character functionality in an interactive game in the electronic theme park experience.